OREANDA-NEWS. There will be no direct services between London Euston and Watford over the weekend of 14 and 15 February and 21 and 22 February while Network Rail installs the latest upgrades in the Watford area.

On Monday 16 and Monday 23 February only two of the four lines through the area will be open until 4pm which means there will be an amended service in operation affecting Virgin Trains and London Midland services.

The closure and reduced service levels are necessary to allow Network Rail to install overhead power equipment and new points on the West Coast main line at Watford.

This will build on work in 2014 and over Christmas and the New Year when new track was installed and new signalling was brought into use. The combined work will help to provide a more reliable and efficient West Coast main line which is one of the busiest mixed use railways in Europe.

To minimise disruption Network Rail, Virgin Trains and London Midland are advising passengers to check before they travel as journeys on the West Coast main line in and out of London and between the West Midlands and north west of England will be longer and may involve a bus replacement service.

In addition passengers using the West Coast main line north of Preston will see trains diverted or replaced by buses between Lancaster and Preston on Saturday 14 and 21 February from 1200; and on Sunday 15 and 22 February until 1600.

On Sunday 22 February some Virgin Train services between Liverpool and Crewe will also be diverted on to other routes, extending journey times.

The closures will affect passengers from across parts of Scotland, north Wales, the West Midlands, north west and those travelling between Rugby, Northampton and Milton Keynes into London. Full details and alternative routes are available on the National Rail Enquires website at www.nationalrail.co.uk/february.

Jim Syddall, acting route managing director for Network Rail, said: “This is the latest phase of planned work in the Watford area which will provide a better railway for the millions of passengers who use the West Coast main line every year.

“There is never a good time to carry out this type of work and we have liaised closely with the train operators to plan for it to take place at a quieter time on the railway.

“The section of track at Watford is one of the most intensively used, high-speed pieces of railway in Britain and has seen tremendous growth in traffic and passengers over the last five years.

“We apologise for the inconvenience caused but the work is essential to improve the network and maintain reliable services on the West Coast main line.”

Network Rail will continue to work with train operators to provide passengers with information in the build up to, and during, the work to minimise disruption as much as possible.

Terry Oliver, London Midland's head of West Coast services, said: “My advice to passengers would be to consider taking an alternative route into London or postponing travel to another date if possible.

“London Midland will be running rail-replacement bus services on the affected Saturdays and Sundays, with extra staff at key locations to provide passenger assistance.

“There will be a significantly reduced train service in operation on the Mondays following the closures, so please plan ahead and check before you travel.

'Thank you to our passengers for their patience and cooperation while these essential works take place.”

Phil Bearpark, Virgin Trains’ executive director for operations and projects, said: “On the weekends of 14/15 and 21/22 of February customers will have to seek alternative services to and from London which means their journeys will take significantly longer and could be extremely busy.

“Services will also be affected on the following Mondays (16 and 23 February) until 4:30pm, when lines are due to re-open. If it is possible for passengers to defer their travel until Tuesday, when normal services resume, we’d urge them to do that. If it is necessary to travel over that weekend, it’s really important to plan your journey and get advice from Virgin Trains to help you identify the best route.

“We have worked really hard with Network Rail over the last weeks and months to get the message out to customers about the disruption they will face over this weekend so they can plan appropriately.”

Further work is planned in the Watford area this Easter when Network Rail will close the railway between London Euston and Hemel Hempstead to replace a key bridge south of Watford station and complete all remaining engineering work. There will be no rail services between London Euston and Hemel Hempstead with passengers urged to travel before or after the railway closes. Those wishing to travel are urged to check before they travel as journeys will be longer and busier.